


Souls Of Fire: The Angel Prophecy

by NEOn_Starz



Series: Souls Of Fire [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gaster is also a jerk, Mettaton is a bad father and husband, Mettaton is a jerk, Papyrus Dies, Read Wings Of Fire before reading this, Spoilers for Wings Of Fire, They're all Dragons, frisk is a boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-02-22 20:50:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13174947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NEOn_Starz/pseuds/NEOn_Starz
Summary: “I don’t care what the prophecy says.” Chara interrupted Papyrus with a snarl. “I’m not letting a bunch of words or 'Angels' decide when I die or who I bow to. There will be peace once Asriel is dead and I am the leader.”For their entire life, Frisk and the rest of the Angels have lived under a mountain in the Ebott Mountains Region, waiting for a chance to finally go outside and see the world. They know that there is a War happening on the Surface, and that they are the only ones who can stop the bloodshed before it's too late...Having literally lived under a rock their entire lives learning about the real world only through scrolls, will the Angels have what it takes to bring the War to an end?::First book in the Souls Of Fire series::





	1. Prologue

Thunder roared above as a flash of lightning illuminated the shining scales of a silver Icewing. Papyrus clutched the egg closer to his chest as he stared into the distance, looking for any signs of Skywings nearby. All he had to do was deliver the egg to the Pacifists, then he’d be safe. He had already escaped King Mettaton’s palace without being seen, and the Claws of Ebott were so close…  
But his theft had not gone unnoticed. A pair of gleaming crimson eyes watched his every movement from below. A slender pale Sandwing covered in scarred scales watched as the silver dragon flew high into the mountains.  
With a flick of her tail, she summoned two more Sandwings, who leaped into the heart of the storm to pursue the Icewing. A loud shriek echoed from above as another flash of lightning illuminated the silver dragon, struggling between the claws of the two Sandwings. They dragged him a few meters above the ledge which the scarred Sandwing was waiting, and dropped him, the Icewing landing with a loud thump accompanied by the sound of bones snapping.  
“Bind his mouth.” The scarred Sandwing ordered as Papyrus groaned in pain, making no effort to move or struggle, not even when the other Sandwings wrapped a burning chain around his muzzle, filling the air with the sound and smell of burning scales.  
“He was carrying this, Queen Chara.” Said one of the soldiers, handing her the dragon egg.  
“This is not an Icewing egg.” She hissed. “You stole this from the Skywing palace.”  
Papyrus only stared back at her in fear, steam circling his muzzle as the chains burned his cold scales.  
“You thought you got away unnoticed, didn’t you?” Chara mused, placing more pressure on the chains using the tip of one talon. “King Mettaton is no fool. He knows everything that happens in his kingdom. His lookouts reported an Icewing sneaking away with an egg from the Royal Hatchery. I only came to add some violence to my usually boring visit.”  
Chara held up the egg near the fire, crimson and gold gleaming under the smooth surface.  
“Yes. This is a Skywing egg about to hatch. One of Mettaton’s offspring, in fact. Now, why would my brother send you to steal one of the Skywing king’s eggs?” She thought for a moment, listening to the rain drumming against the ledge. “Unless… the brightest night is tomorrow…”  
Chara’s tail flicked up like a scorpion’s, the sharp, poisonous barb inches away from Papyrus’ eyes. “You’re not in Asriel’s army, are you? You’re one of those foolish Pacifists.” She spat the last word as if it were a piece of rotting prey.  
“The Pacifists?” One of the soldiers stared at Chara, surprised. “You mean, they’re real?”  
Chara snorted in reply. “A few stupid worms crying over a bit of dust. Unwrap his chains. He won’t be able to use his freezing breath until his scales cool down. Not that he’ll try, anyways. I can tell this one isn’t much of a fighter.” Chara leaned closer as the soldier removed the chains. “Tell me, Icewing, do you really believe in the Nightwings’ dumb prophecy?”  
“Haven’t enough dragons died for your war?” Papyrus rasped, wincing as pain in his jaw hit him like a bolt of lightning. “All of The Surface has suffered for the last 12 years. The prophecy says—“  
“I don’t care what your stupid prophecy says.” Chara interrupted Papyrus with a snarl. “I’m not letting a bunch of words or ‘Angels’ decide when I die or who I bow to. There will be peace once Asriel is dead and I am the leader of the Sandwings.” Her venomous tail dipped closer to Papyrus, mere centimeters away from his eyes.  
Rain pattered on Papyrus’s scales, hitting his burned muzzle and making him hiss in pain. “The Angels are coming, whether you like it or not. They will choose who the next Sandwing leader.” He said through clenched fangs.  
“Oh really?” Chara smirked, stepping back and holding the egg in front of him. “So, Icewing, is this egg part of your precious prophecy?”  
Papyrus fell silent.  
Chara tapped the egg with one talon. “Hello?” She called. “Is there an Angel in there, ready to come out and end this big bad war?”  
“Leave it alone.” Papyrus snarled as he glared up at the Sandwing.  
“Tell me,” Chara looked down at Papyrus. “What would happen to your prophecy... if one of the Angels never hatched at all?”  
“You wouldn’t.” Papyrus said, his eyes widening in fear. ”Nobody would ever harm an egg, especially not one from a Royal Hatchery.” The Icewing’s orange eyes stared desperately at the egg in Chara’s talons.  
“No ‘soul of bravery’ to save the day.” Chara said. “What a sad, sad story.” She shook her head sadly before tossing the egg from one talon to the other. “I guess you should be very, very careful with this terribly important little— whoops!”  
With an over-exaggerated lunge, Chara threw the Skywing egg off the cliff, pretending it slipped through her talons. Papyrus watched in horror as it disappeared into the darkness below.  
“No!” He threw off the two Sandwing soldiers and launched himself off the cliff. Chara grabbed his neck with her talons and slammed him into the side of the cliff.  
“So much for destiny.” She smirked as she looked down at Papyrus. “So much for your tragic little movement.”  
“You’re a monster.” Papyrus rasped as he gasped for air. “We will never give up. The Angels— the Angels will come and stop this war.”  
Chara leaned down to hiss in his ear. “Even if they do— it’ll be far too late for you.” Her claws ripped through Papyrus’s wings, shredding the membrane and cleanly cutting through bone and flesh. Papyrus shrieked in agony and struggled under the Sandwing’s tight grip. With one swift movement, Chara stabbed the barb of her tail through Papyrus’s skull and threw him off the cliff.  
The Icewing’s screams had cut off long before they heard the echoes of his corpse slamming into the sharp rocks below.  
With that, Chara turned back to face her soldiers. “Perfect.” She said. “That should be the last we hear of that stupid prophecy.” She held out her talons so that the rain could wash off Papyrus’s blood. “Lets go find something else to kill, shall we?”  
The three Sandwings spread out their flavescent wings and took off into the storm.  
  
Far below, a large, russet Skywing crawled over the rocks, towards the twisted, silver body of Papyrus. She nudged his spiked tail aside to reveal an eggshell shard, then slipped back into the dark labyrinth of caves underneath the cliffs.  
Rough stone walls brushed against her wings. She breathed out a small plume of flame to light her way in the dark passage, deep within the mountains.  
“I stand with the Pacifists”.” A deep voice hissed in the shadows. “Ruby? Is that you?”  
“We await the Souls Of Fire.” Answered the red Skywing. A turquoise Seawing emerged from a side cave, and she tossed the crimson eggshell at his feet. “Not that it’ll do us much good now.” She snarled. “Papyrus is dead.”  
The Seawing stared at the eggshell “But— the Skywing egg—“  
“Broken.” She said. “Gone. It’s over, Wave.”  
“It can’t be.” He said. “Tomorrow is the Brightest Night. The three moons will all be full for the first time in a century. The Angels have to hatch tomorrow.”  
“Well, one of them is already dead.” Rage flickered in Ruby’s eyes. “I knew I should have stolen the Skywing egg myself. I know the Skywing kingdom. They wouldn’t have caught me a second time.”  
Wave grimaced, scratching a talon over the gills on his neck. “Monakit is dead, too.”  
“Monakit?” A spurt of flame shot from Ruby’s nose. “How?”  
“Caught in a battle between Asriel and Chara’s forces on the way here. He still made it with the determination egg, but he died of his wounds soon after.”  
“So it’s just you, me, and Camel to raise the little worms.” Ruby growled. “For a prophecy that can never be fulfilled. Lets just break the cursed eggs now and be done with it. We’ll be long gone before the Pacifists come for the Angels.”  
“No!” Wave hissed. “Keeping the Angels alive for the next eight years is more important than anything. If you don’t want to be part of that—“  
“All right, enough.” Ruby snapped. “I’m the strongest dragon in the Pacifists. You need me. It doesn’t matter how I feel about nasty little dragonets.” She eyed the eggshell, rubbing her scarred palms together. “Although I hoped at least one of them would be a Skywing.”  
“I’ll find us a fifth dragonet.” Wave shoved Ruby away as he padded past her, scales scraping against the stone walls of the cave.  
“There’s no way back into the Sky Kingdom, idiot.” She said. “They’ll be guarding the hatcheries closely now.”  
“Then I’ll get an egg elsewhere.” Wave said grimly. “The Rainwings don’t even count their eggs— I could take one from the rainforest without anyone noticing.”  
“Of all the horrible ideas.” Ruby said with a shudder. “Rainwings are wretched creatures. Nothing like Skywings.”“We have to do something.” Wave hissed as his tail sent the eggshell skittering across the cave floor. “In eight years, the Pacifists will come looking for five dragonets. The prophecy says five, and we’ll make it come true… whatever it takes.”


	2. Chapter 1

Six years later

Frisk didn’t think he was the right dragon for a Big Heroic Destiny.  
Oh, he wanted to be. He wanted to be the great Mudwing savior of the world, glorious and brave. He wanted to do all of the wonderful things expected of him. He wanted to look at the world, figure out what was broken, and fix it.  
But he wasn’t a natural-hatched hero. He had no legendary qualities at all, apart from his undying determination. He liked making jokes and puns more than studying. He kept losing snowdrakes in the caves during hunting practice because he was paying attention to his friends instead of watching for feathers.  
He was terrible at fighting, and that wasn’t going to help anyone, let alone stop a war and save the dragon tribes. He needed to be extraordinary. He was the biggest of the Angels, so he was supposed to be the scary, tough one. The Caretakers wanted him to be terrifyingly dangerous.  
Frisk felt as dangerous as a Froggit.  
“Fight!” His attacker shouted, flinging him across the cavern. Frisk crashed into the stone wall with a loud thud before scrambling up and spreading his wings for balance. Dark talons raked at his face, and Frisk managed to duck just before the talons could hit his muzzle. “Come on.” The crimson dragon snarled. “Stop holding back. Find the killer inside you and let it out.”  
“I’m trying!” Frisk shouted back. “Maybe if we could just stop and talk about it—“  
She lunged at him again. “Feint to the left! Roll right! Use your fire!” Frisk tried to duck under her wing to attack her from below, but of course, he rolled the wrong way. One of her talons smashed him to the ground, and he yelped in pain.  
“WHICH LEFT WAS THAT, USELESS?” Sky bellowed in his ear. “Are all Mudwings this stupid? OR ARE YOU JUST DEAF?”  
Well, if you keep that up, I will be soon, Frisk thought. The Skywing lifted her claws, and he wriggled free.  
“I don’t know about other Mudwings.” He protested, licking his sore talons. “Obviously. But perhaps we could try fighting without all the shouting and see—“ He stopped upon hearing the familiar hiss that came before one of Sky’s fire attacks.  
He threw his wings over his head, tucked in his long neck, and rolled into the maze of stalagmites in one corner of the cave. Flames blasted the rocks around him and burned the tip of his tail.  
“Coward!” The older dragon bellowed as she smashed one of the rock columns. Frisk covered his eyes as sharp shards of stone showered both dragons. Almost immediately, he felt Sky stamp down hard on his tail.  
“OW!” He yelled. “You said stomping tails was cheating!” He seized the closest stalagmite between his claws and scrambled on top of it. From his perch near the roof, he glared down at the Skywing Caretaker.  
“I’m your teacher.” Sky snarled. “Nothing I do is cheating. Now get down here and fight like a Skywing.”  
But I’m NOT a Skywing. Frisk thought rebelliously. I’m a Mudwing! I don’t like setting things on fire or flapping around in circles snapping at dragon necks. His fangs still ached from Sky’s jewel-hard scales.  
“Can’t I fight one of the others?” He asked. “I’m much better at that.” The other Angels were his size (nearly), and they didn’t cheat (most of the time). He liked fighting them.  
“Oh, yes?” Which opponent would you prefer, the stunted Sandwing or the lazy Rainwing?” Sky said. “Because I’m sure you’ll get to choose out on the battlefield.”Her tail glowed like embers as she lashed it back and forth.  
“Kindness isn’t lazy!” Frisk said loyally. “She’s just not built for fighting, that’s all. Sea says—“  
“STOP YAMMERING AND GET DOWN HERE!” Sky roared. She reared up on her hind legs, her wings flared out so that she looked three times bigger.  
With a yelp of alarm, Frisk tried to leap to the next stalagmite, but his wings unfurled too slowly, and he ended up smacking into the side of it instead. He let out a screech as Sky snaked her long neck between the stalagmites and grabbed Frisk’s tail between her jaws, dragging him into the open.  
Her talons closed around his neck as she hissed in his ear. “Where’s the violent little monster I saw when you hatched? That’s the Angel we need for the prophecy.”  
Frisk could only manage a tiny squeak as he struggled in her grip. He could feel her strange burn marks on her palms scraping against his scales.  
This was how battle training with Sky always ended— with him unconscious and then sore or limping for days afterward. Fight back. They thought. Get mad! Do something! But although he was the biggest of the Angels, they were all still a year away from being full grown, so Sky towered over him.  
He tried to summon some helpful violent rage, but all he could think was, It’ll be over soon, and then I can have dinner.  
So, not the most heroic train of thought.  
Suddenly, Sky let out a roar and dropped him. Fire blasted over Frisk’s head as he hit the floor with a loud thud.  
The crimson dragon whirled around. Behind her, panting defiantly, was the Seawing Angel, Integrity. A crimson scale was caught between her sharp fangs. She spat it out and glared at their teacher.  
“Stop picking on Frisk.” Integrity growled. “Or I’ll bite you again.” Her deep blue scales shimmered like cobalt glass under the light of the torch. The gills on her neck were pulsing like they always did when she was angry.  
Sky sat back and flicked her tail around to examine the bite mark. She bared her fangs at Integrity. “Aren’t you sweet. Protecting a dragon who tried to kill you while you were still an egg.”  
“But luckily you big dragons were there to save our lives.” Integrity said. “And we sure appreciate it, because now we get to hear about it all the time.” She marched around to stand between Frisk and Sky.  
Frisk winced. He hated hearing this story. He didn’t understand it. He would never want to hurt the other Angels.  
So why had he attacked their eggs when they hatched? Did he truly have a killer inside him somewhere?  
The other Caretakers, Sea and Sand, said he’d been ferocious when he hatched. They had to throw him into the river to protect the other Angels from him. Sky wanted him to find that monster and use it when he fought.  
But he was afraid that if he ever did, he would hate himself, and so would everyone else. Thinking about what he’d nearly done to his friends made him feel like all the fire had been sucked out of him.  
He didn’t particularly want to be a violent, angry monster, even if Sky thought that would be an improvement.  
But maybe that was the only way to make the prophecy come true. Maybe that monster was his destiny.  
“All right.” Sky said dismissively. “We’re finished here anyway. I’ll mark another failure in your scroll, Mudwing.” She snorted before sweeping out of the cave.  
As soon as her crimson tail vanished into the darkness, Frisk flopped down on the floor next to Integrity. It felt as if all his scales were stinging from the burns. “She’s going to be so mean to you during training tomorrow.” He said to her.  
“Oh no!” Integrity gasped dramatically. “I’ve never seen Sky be mean before! That’ll be so unexpected and out of character!”  
“Ow…” Frisk groaned as he tried to laugh. “Don’t make me laugh. I think my ribs are broken.”  
“Your ribs aren’t broken.” Integrity prodded him with one talon. “Dragon bones are almost as hard as diamonds. You’re fine. Get up.”  
When Frisk refused, Integrity shoved him under his chest with her muzzle. When he still refused, she seized his tail between her jaws and began to drag him towards the river.  
“Get up and jump in the river.” She said as she dropped him at the edge of the river.  
“I will not.” Frisk said as he struggled to get up.  
“You’ll feel much better.” Integrity seized Frisk’s tail between her jaws again and dragged him into the river.  
“I’ll feel colder! Stop it! Go away!” Frisk’s protests went up in a cloud of bubbles as Integrity dumped him into the river.  
When he resurfaced, Integrity was floating beside him. She ducked her head and splashed water over her scales like a beautiful overgrown fish. Frisk felt like a gawky, dark brown blob next to her.  
He dove down into the shallows and lay on a submerged rock ledge, resting his head on the riverbank. Though he refused to admit it, the cold water did make his burns and scratches feel better, and the current helped to wash away the rock dust caught between his scales.  
It was still too cold, though, and Frisk wished there could be some mud below the surface.  
“Sky will be sorry one day when I’m the queen of the Seawings.” Integrity said as she swam up and down along the narrow channel.  
“I thought only members of the royal family could challenge the king and queen for the throne,” Frisk said as he watched Integrity swim. She swam so fast. Frisk wished he had webs between his talons, or gills, or a tail as powerful as hers, so powerful that it could empty the small river with a single, large splash.  
“Well, maybe the Seawing queen is my mother, and I’m the lost princess, like in the story.” Integrity smiled at the thought.  
Everything the Angels knew about the outside world came from scrolls that the Pacifists had left them. The Angels’ favorite was The Missing Princess, a story about a runaway Seawing princess whose royal family tore up the entire ocean searching for her. In the end, she found her way home, and she was welcomed with open wings, feasting, and joy.  
Frisk always skipped the climax and went straight to the end. He just liked that part— the happy family. Every time he read that part, he thought about his parents, and if they will welcome him that way if he ever met them.  
“I wonder what my parents are like.” He wondered aloud.  
“I wonder if our parents are still alive.” Integrity said.  
Frisk didn’t like to think about that. He knew dragons died every day  
out there— Sea and Sand always brought back news about bloody battles, scorched land, and burning piles of dragons slowly turning to dust. But he still believed that his parents were safe. “Do you think they ever miss us?”  
“Definitely.” Integrity flicked some water at him with her tail. “I bet mine were frantic when Sea stole my egg, just like in the story.”  
“And mine tore apart the marshes,” Frisk said. Ever since they were young dragonets, the Angels had all imagined scenes of their parents, desperately searching for their lost eggs. Frisk liked that idea, that someone was out there looking for him… someone that cared about him and missed him and wanted him back.  
Integrity flipped onto her back and stared at the stone roof with her green eyes. “Well, the Pacifists knew what they were doing when they brought us down here. No one will ever find us.” She said bitterly.  
For a while, there was silence as the two listened to the river gurgle and the torches crackle.  
“We won’t be underground forever,” Frisk said, trying to make Integrity feel better. “I mean, the Pacifists have to let us out sometime if they want us to stop this war.” He scratched his ears thoughtfully. “Perseverance says it’s only two more years, then we can all go home.”  
“Well, first we save the world. Then we can go home.” Integrity pulled herself out of the river, with Frisk following close behind. “Unless… unless we leave sooner.”  
“Leave?” Frisk echoed, startled. “How? On our own?”  
“Why not? If we can find a way out, why do we have to wait two more years? I’m ready to save the world now, aren’t you?”  
Frisk wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready to save the world. He figured the Pacifists would tell him what to do. Only the Caretakers knew where the Angels were hiding, but there were probably hundreds of Pacifists out there getting ready for the prophecy.  
“We can’t stop the war by ourselves. We wouldn’t know where to start.” He said.  
Integrity flapped her wings at him, showering him with shining droplets of water. “We can stop the war on our own. That’s the whole point of the prophecy.”  
“Maybe in two years,” Frisk replied. Maybe by then, I’ll have found my dangerous side, and I’ll be the ferocious fighter Sky wants me to be.  
“Maybe sooner.” Integrity said stubbornly. “Just… think about it, all right?”  
Frisk shifted his feet. “All right, I’ll think about it.” At least that way he could stop arguing with her.  
“I hear dinner!” Integrity cheerfully prodded Frisk in the stomach as she heard the faint sound of dismayed mooing. “Race you to the hall!” She whirled away before Frisk could react.  
Frisk sighed as he folded his wings and swept his tail through the debris of smashed rock column.  
Integrity was crazy. The Angels weren’t ready to stop the war. They didn’t even know how to survive on their own. Maybe Integrity and Justice were brave and tough like a hero should be, but Kindness and Perseverance… Frisk thought of all the things that could hurt them and wished he could protect them.  
Besides, there was no obvious way to escape the cave. The Pacifists made sure of that.  
Still, part of him wondered what it would be like going home now versus what it would be like going home in two years. Back to the marshes, to his tribe, to Mudwings who looked like him and thought like him… back to his parents, whoever and wherever they were…  
What if they could do it?  
What if the Angels could escape, and survive, and save the world… in their own way?


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry this took so long. School and tuition have been extremely challenging lately, and I just finished doing ISA, so I haven't had much time to write. Anyways, here is chapter two of The Angel Prophecy!

Frisk swept the bones of dinner into the river and watched as the white shapes bounced in the current.

Flames flickered around the edges of the central cave as an echoing space yawned overhead, dripping with fang-like stalagmites. The large cave dome was big enough for 6 full-grown dragons to fit across with their wings fully spread. An underground river flowed along the edge of one wall, murmuring and gurgling as if plotting its own escape.

Frisk glanced at the two small sleeping caves, which had opened onto the hall. He wondered where the other Angels had gone while he was cleaning up.

“AHA!” A loud voice yelled. Frisk whirled around, only to come face-to-face with Justice, the smallest and last hatched of the Angels. A small lizard tail was disappearing into the young Sandwing’s mouth as he stared at Frisk, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“That was my fierce hunting cry!” He said in his usual boastful voice. “Did you like it? Real scary, right?”

“Well, it certainly was surprising,” Frisk said. “Lizards again? What’s wrong with cows?”

“Too heavy,” Justice replied, sounding disgusted. “What’s the matter? You look all serious.”

“Just thinking.” Frisk said. He was glad that Sand and Sky couldn’t read minds like Nightwings. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about escaping all throughout dinner.

Frisk could feel the heat radiating from Justice’s scales. Justice was too small and the wrong color— bright gold instead of pale yellow like most Sandwings— but he gave off heat like the rest of his tribe.

“Sand says we should study for an hour before bed,” Justice said. “The others are in the study cave already.”

Sand, the dragon who had taught them survival skills, was a Sandwing and so was Justice… more or less. There was something not quite right about the short Angel. Not only were his scales too golden, but he also lacked a tail barb, a Sandwing’s most dangerous weapon.

As Sky had said many times, Justice was completely harmless… and what good was a harmless dragon? But his egg fit the instructions in the prophecy, so he was the “Soul of Justice”, whether the Pacifists liked it or not.

Of course, there was no “Soul of Kindness” in the prophecy. The Angels had all heard multiple times how Kindness was the last minute substitute for the broken Skywing egg, the “Soul of Bravery”. Sky and Sand always called her a mistake and growled at her a lot.

Nobody knew if the prophecy would still happen with a “Soul of Kindness” instead of a “Soul of Bravery”. But from what Frisk knew of Skywings, he was glad they had Kindness instead of another grumpy Sky.

Besides, if anyone were to mess up the prophecy, it would be him, not Justice or Kindness.

“Come on.” Justice said with a flick of his tail. Frisk followed him across the central cave and into the study cave.

Frisk’s enormous feet and thick claws scraped and thumped along the stone floor. Even though he’d lived under a mountain his entire life, it still hurt to walk on bare stone.

Integrity was striding around the study cave shouting orders. Frisk and Justice sat by the entrance of the cave, folding their wings back. A small breath of air drifted down from the hole in the ceiling far overhead, the only window in the mountain. At night, without the distant rays of the sun, the room felt much colder and more hollow. Frisk sniffed the darkness that had fallen on the other side of the hole. He thought it smelled like stars.

A map of The Surface hung on a wall between two bright torches. Integrity and Perseverance enjoyed staring at the map, trying to figure out where their hidden cavern was. Perseverance was pretty sure they lived under the Claws of Ebott mountains. Skywings preferred to live high among the peaks, so anything could happen in the caverns below without them noticing.

“All this history is so confusing.” Justice mused, his tail swishing back and forth on the dusty stone floor. “Why don’t the three sides just sit down and discuss an end to the war?”

“That would be great.” Frisk agreed. “Then we could stop studying it.”

Justice giggled.

“Stop that.” Integrity scolded. “No whispering! Pay attention. I’m assigning parts.”

“This isn’t proper studying.” Perseverance pointed out. His dark Nightwing scales made him nearly invisible in the shadows, his wings like shreds of the night sky. He picked up a few scrolls and began to neatly sort them into stacked triangles. “Perhaps I should read to everyone instead.”

“Dear moons, anything but that.” Kindness groaned from a ledge above him as she rolled her eyes. “Maybe later, when we’re _trying_ to fall asleep.” Her long snout, emerald green with displeasure, rested on her front claws. Ripples of iridescent blue shimmered across her scales, and her tail was a swirl of vibrant purples.

If it weren’t for Kindness, none of them would know how many colors there were in the world. Frisk wondered what it must be like in the rainforest, where there was a whole tribe of beautiful, colorful dragons.

“Shush.” Integrity scolded. “Now, obviously I’d be the best leader, but let’s make Justice the leader since he’s a real Sandwing.” She shoved Justice into the center of the cave.

“Well, sort of.” Kindness muttered under her breath.

“Hsst.” Perseverance flicked her with his tail. None of the Angels talked about why Justice didn’t look like a Sandwing.

Integrity tapped her talons on the cold stone floor. “Frisk, do you want to play the human?”

“That’s hardly fair.” Perseverance pointed out. “Frisk is twice Justice’s size, and a real human would be smaller than him, according to this scroll. It says that humans have no scales, no wings, no tail, and they walk on two legs, which sounds very unstable to me. I bet they fall over all the time. They love treasure as much as dragons do, and they attack lone dragons and steal—“

“OH MY GOD, WE KNOW!” Kindness snapped. “We were all here for the _fascinating_ lectures about them. Don’t make me come down there and bite you, Perseverance!”

“I’d like to meet a real human!” Frisk said. “I’d rip it’s head off! And eat it! I bet it would taste much better than the mouthfuls of feathers Sky keeps bringing us.”

“Poor, hungry Frisk.” Justice teased.

“When we’re free, we’ll find a nest full of humans, and eat them all.” Integrity promised.

“When we’re free?” Justice echoed, confused.

Frisk and Integrity exchanged worried glances. Justice was sweet, fair, and absolutely terrible at keeping secrets.

“I mean, after we fulfill the prophecy, of course.” Integrity said quickly. “Frisk, you be the human. This can be your sword.” She smashed a stalagmite with her tail, sharp stone shards flying in every direction, and handed the fallen stalagmite to Frisk.

Frisk grabbed the stone spear and grinned wickedly at Justice.

“Don’t _actually_ hurt me.” Justice said.

“Of course he won’t. We’re just acting it out. Kindness and I can be the Prince and Princess. Kindness can be Asriel and I’ll be Chara.” Seeing Perseverance, she added, “And Perseverance can… uh…”

“I’ll just read these scrolls.” Perseverance said, already holding 5 scrolls about the dragon tribes.

“You sure you don’t want a part in this?” Frisk asked.

“I’m fine.” Perseverance replied, his muzzle already buried in a scroll about Skywings.

“Alright.” Frisk shrugged.

“Go ahead.” Integrity nodded at Justice.

“Um.” Justice eyed Frisk warily. “Right, here I go, la la la, Queen Toriel of the Sandwings. I’m _so_ very important and uh— royal— and stuff.”

Integrity sighed. Kindness tried to hide her smile.

“I’ve been queen for ages and ages.” Justice went on as he began to strut across the cave floor. “Nobody dares to challenge me! I am the strongest Sandwing leader who ever lived! It’s probably because of all my treasure! I have so much treasure because I’m such an important leader!”

“Did someone say _treasure_?” Frisk leaped out from behind a large rock.

“Rargh! What is this tiny human doing in my palace? I am not afraid of humans! I shall eat him in one bite!” Justice shouted.

Kindness and Tsunami both started giggling, Kindness even having to lie down and cover her face with her wings while Integrity made faces trying to stop herself from laughing out loud.

Frisk started swinging his stalagmite around, being careful as to not hit the other Angels. “Squeak! Squeak squeak! And other human noises! I’m going to steal treasure from an amazing sand dragon!”

“Not from me, you won’t!” Justice stomped forward, spreading his wings and lifting his tail threateningly. Without the poisonous barb most Sandwings had, Justice wasn’t very menacing. But nobody dared to mention that.

“Ngaaah!!” Frisk lunged forward with his stalagmite. Justice easily dodged, and the two ended up chasing each other in circles. This was always Frisk’s favorite part. Justice’s small size made it easy for him to dodge and duck under Frisk.

But in the end, like how the story went, Queen Toriel had to lose. Frisk had Justice up against the wall and slammed the stalagmite into the wall next to Justice’s head, pretending it went through his heart.

“Impossible! A queen killed by a mere human! The kingdom will fall into anarchy!” He let out a dramatic cry before collapsing and letting his wings flop lifelessly beside him.

“Mweh heh heh!” Frisk bellowed in an evil manner. “And squeak squeak! All the treasure is mine!” He grabbed a bunch of rocks and paraded away proudly.

“Oh no! Our mother is dead, and all her treasure is gone! Who will be the leader now?” Integrity said as she clasped her talons together and let out a cry of anguish.

“ _I_ was about to challenge her! I should be the leader!” Kindness cried, flapping her wings.

“No, I should be the leader! I am the oldest and largest!” Integrity insisted.

“I should kill you right now!” Kindness snarled.

“You and what army?” Integrity smirked, sitting down and examining her claws.

Kindness stretched her neck up and bared her teeth at Integrity. “I’ll go _get_ an army— an army of Icewings and Mudwings— then you’ll be sorry.”

“You’re not the only one who can make alliances. I’ll get the Skywings and Seawings on my side! Then we’ll see who truly deserves to be the leader!”

“Stop fighting with each other! Come fight me for this treasure instead!” Frisk roared.

Kindness and Integrity ignored him and kept arguing.

“Anyways, most of the Sandwings want me as the leader!” Kindness said proudly.

“Says who?” Justice looked up at the two arguing dragons.

“Stop talking. You’re supposed to be dead!” Integrity said, poking his muzzle with one talon.

“I just want to fight somebody!” Frisk stamped his feet on the cold stone floor.

As if summoned by Frisk’s voice, Sky appeared at the entrance of the cave and glared at the five Angels.

“WHAT is going on here?” She roared.

Justice leaped to his feet, nearly falling over onto Integrity.

Sky slithered into the cave, her claws clicking on the floor. “This doesn’t look like studying at all.”

Integrity straightened up and glared right back at Sky. “We were acting out the death of Queen Toriel, which started the Great War.”

“You’re too old for games such as play-acting.” Sky hissed.

“It’s not a game, it’s just a different way of learning history.” Integrity said.

“And now you’re talking back.” Sky narrowed her eyes down at the Seawing. “No sleeping in the river tonight. The rest of you, learn from your friend’s mistakes and study properly..”

“That’s not fair!” Frisk objected. “We were all doing the same thing, except for Perseverance. Shouldn’t we all be punished?”

“I know who the ringleader is.” Sky growled. “Cut off the head and the problem goes away. Now go to bed.”

As soon as they were out of earshot of Sky, Integrity let out a loud sigh. “I can’t stand this much longer. We need to get out somehow.”

“I’m not sure we’re ready, though.” Perseverance mused. “There’s still so much we have to learn, and so many scrolls we still have to read…”

“You mean scrolls _you_ still have to read!” Justice teased as he nudged Perseverance with one wing.

“Nobody’s happy here. Remember what we decided— we all stick together. If one of us leaves, the rest goes with them.

“Frisk’s right.” Integrity said.

“As usual.” Kindness muttered, rolling her eyes.

“As soon as we have a plan, we go.” Integrity stared sternly into each of their eyes. “Let’s see the Caretakers try to force our destiny upon us when they can’t find us anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I listened to Elevatorstuck on repeat while writing this


	4. Chapter 3

Frisk jumped as a thundering crash sounded from the central cave. The entrance boulder was slammed back into place, followed by heavy, squishy footsteps belonging to Sea.  
“Something’s happening.” Integrity said, her ears twitched, and the ridge on her back stood straight. “We should go listen.”  
“I’m sure we’ll find out what all this fuss is about tomorrow morning.” Perseverance murmured, not bothering to look up from his scroll.  
“I don’t want to wait that long!” Integrity announced as she whirled out of the cave. “Let’s go!”  
Frisk leaped to his feet and followed Kindness to the central cave. Kindness’s scales were already changing to a charcoal gray to match the walls and floor of the cavern. Soon she would be nearly impossible to see against it.  
Perseverance immediately put down his scroll and followed them, and the three dragonets hurried through the dark tunnel that led to the Caretakers’ cave. They had disappeared almost completely into the shadows.  
Hidden there, the Angels could get as close as they could to eavesdrop on the Caretakers.  
Frisk and Integrity knew they would get a better shot of hearing if they hurried. Integrity was already bounding towards the river at the other end of the cave.  
“What about Justice? We shouldn’t leave him behind.” Frisk called quietly. Justice was still in the Sleeping Cave, organizing scrolls.  
“We’ll think of something to tell him later.” Integrity said.  
Frisk felt sorry for Justice. He was the only Angel that wasn’t part of their little spying game. But Integrity was right.  
Integrity slipped into the river soundlessly, her blue scales shimmering as she swam below the mellow waves. Frisk climbed in as silently as possible, wishing only then that he could see in the dark as well as Integrity.  
Mudwings couldn’t breathe in water; that was an ability only Seawings possessed. However, they could hold their breath underwater for over an hour, so whenever the Angels wanted to spy on the Caretakers, Integrity and Frisk used the river to get as close as possible to the older dragons.  
Frisk barely managed to catch up with Integrity as she squeezed through the underwater gap between the walls of the cave. Frisk always felt uncomfortable squeezing through the gap. He always thought he was too overweight to fit. Thankfully, he managed to fit without any problems. Integrity and Frisk remained quiet as they swam into the Caretakers’ Cave. Frisk stopped near the entrance of the cave, while Integrity swam further. Frisk was sure that everyone, even the other Angels in different parts of the cavern, could hear, from the way Sky was shouting. Maybe even other dragons outside of the mountain could hear her.  
“He’s coming here without warning? After six years, he’s finally interested in these worms?!” Sky roared, blasting a nearby stone column with a jet of fire.  
“He’s going to be extremely disappointed when he sees the Angels.” Sand growled. He was resting atop a short boulder, his shredded wing hanging off the side and trailing on the floor.  
“We’ve done our best.” Sea murmured before being interrupted by Sky.  
“Does he even know what happened? Does he know about the Rainwing or the defective Sandwing?” She demanded.  
Frisk winced as he slowly drifted closer. He could recognize the blurry shapes of the Caretakers surrounding a fire through the water.  
“I’m not sure about whether or not he cares. The Nightwing scout just said ‘King Gaster is coming’ and I’m supposed to meet him near the Diamond Spray human castle.” Sea said.  
King Gaster. That name sounded familiar, but Frisk didn’t know why. A dragon from history? A tribe leader?  
“It’s not Justice we should be worried about. The real problem is that Rainwing.” Sand said. “King Gaster will not be impressed when he sees her.”  
“Kindness isn’t that bad. She’s smarter than you realize.” Sea argued.  
“She’s lazy and stupid, just like every other Rainwing. And she isn’t a Skywing either.” Sky snapped.  
Frisk wished Kindness didn’t have to hear all of this. She wasn’t stupid, and she most definitely wasn’t lazy either. Frisk wanted he could tell her to stay determined, and that she was just as important as any Skywing, no matter what the Caretakers said about her.  
“It’s not like I knew he was going to come back.” Sea snorted. “He just came to drop off Perseverance’s egg, then left. The Nightwings have nothing to do with the war, so it’s reasonable to think he wouldn’t care.”  
“Did the Pacifists say what he wants?” Sky asked.  
“It’s his prophecy, so he’s probably coming to make sure it comes true,” Sea said.  
Gaster. The name sent a jolting shiver down Frisk’s spine.  
King Gaster had spoken the Angel prophecy ten years ago. The Angels had learned about him through scrolls. To Frisk, the dragon who speaks the prophecy is not as important as the prophecy itself.  
But maybe King Gaster was more important than he realized. After all, he was coming to see the Angels. Maybe he’d finally take them to see the Surface. Maybe the Angels didn’t need to try and escape.  
Maybe everything would finally change for the better.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! Sorry for the delay!
> 
> I'm also extremely sorry about this being so short. I promise the next chapter won't be as short.

Frisk had never believed the legends about Nightwings. Powerful, mysterious dragons able to read minds and see different futures and outcomes? A hidden kingdom? It all seemed like nonsense and childish stories to him.  
He had Perseverance for proof. Sure, Perseverance was smart and serious and a total bookworm, but he had no special powers of any kind.  
Frisk sighed as he stared at the cavern ceiling. He wondered what King Gaster would be like. Perhaps King Gaster was kinder than the Caretakers. Maybe when he saw the condition the Angels were living in, he’d set them free.  
But that evening, when a giant as black as HATE appeared in the cave shadows, the rumours came crashing down on Frisk like Sky’s powerful talons.  
King Gaster was much different from what Frisk imagined. He was way larger than Sky, the largest of the Caretakers, and over ten times more terrifying. His eyes were like glittering talons, piercing anyone he looked at. His long fangs were stained with the blood of hundreds. When he opened his mouth, anyone close to him would be greeted by the bitter stench of death. The star-like scales on King Gaster’s wings glittered coldly, staring down at the Angels and silently taunting them.  
Frisk didn’t like King Gaster at all. The look in the Nightwing’s eyes told them he hated them. The way his talons shifted told them he wanted to kill them. The way he moved told them he was itching to leave this miserable lot and never come back.  
None of the Angels expected that. King Gaster had not even been in their cave for longer than an hour, and they were already a disappointment. Frisk couldn’t help but cower in his presence.  
Fear gripped at the Angels’ hearts and tore at their scales as Gaster inspected them.  
On his right side, Frisk could feel Justice quivering, while Perseverance stood at his left, as still as a stone sculpture. Frisk didn’t know where exactly Kindness was, but he knew exactly when Gaster saw her. The great Nightwing’s gaze narrowed and darkened with disgust and anger. His muzzle twitched, and a slimy dark tongue slipped over his yellowed fangs.  
Gaster turned to glare at Sky. He aimed a talon at Kindness as if subtly threatening to stab the young Rainwing.  
“WHAT. IS. THIS?” He roared. The Angels all felt their hearts skip a beat as the Nightwing king’s deep voice echoed across the cavern.  
Only when Perseverance moved was Frisk able to see Kindness. She was sitting on her hind legs, her tail curled neatly over her talons. Kindness’s scales were mostly soft shades of violet and gold, but the crimson flames dancing across her ears gave away that she was upset.  
“Your Highness,” Sky spoke. “There was an accident. Papyrus died while fetching the Bravery egg, so Sea was forced to steal an egg from—“  
Gaster let out a chuckle, though it sounded more like talons running across dried bones.  
“Lost the Bravery egg, you say? Oh, if only you miserable lot knew.” A sinister grin made its way to his muzzle.  
“There’s already an Angel of Bravery."

"And he’s more prepared than the rest of you combined.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the earlier note, by "chapter" I mean an actual chapter in the main story.  
> The part after this will be an intermission featuring the mysterious Angel of Bravery.  
> Hopefully that'll be longer too.


End file.
